Apple Tree
by bbqmice
Summary: They finally get a chance to talk alone after john's return. Set after Allies. Sparky!


A.N. -The idea was for this to be a missing scene or tagafter the conclusion of season two, so not having seenit yet some guess work ensues. Oh, and this is your last warning: Sparky ahead!

**Apple Tree**

Breathing in the night air, Elizabeth heard the doors behind her quietly slide open then close. A small smile crept onto her face. It was good to be out here again. To look out at city and know the people within were safe and alive, even if it were just for the evening, because who could tell what the dawn would bring with it. Especially around here. If Atlantis had taught her nothing else, it was to live each moment, so for right now she was happy enough to feel the slight sea breeze caress her cheeks and relish the taste of salt on her lips.

His soft treds on the floor couldn't be heard, but she knew exactly where he was. As he approached she allowed herself to indulge in the gulity pleasures his close proximity brought. This was the first time they'd been alone since he and the others arrived this morning through the stargate.

They had sauntered into the gate room as casual as you like, as though they were returning home from some routine mission. After nearly two weeks of worring on her behalf, thinking the worst had happened, haunted by nightmares of his death at the hands of the wraith, but there he was was. Alive and in one piece, but for the few scratches and scrapes. When she and the other personel who were about had greeted them, the relief nearly dissolved her at the sight of him. She had to lock her knees in place; firstly keep her standing up right; secondly to stop herself from launching at him. They shared a searing look and with a nod they agreed now was not the time for any of the things they felt they needed to say. That's what had brought them here tonight. They hadn't needed to make up a time or pick out a venue, instinctively they'd make it here when the time was right.

John came to rest standing inches apart from her. Never so happy to take in the sight of her, the delicate sent that was neither perfume nor soap but unmistakingly her, brought to him on the breeze.

It was no shock to him now that during their time evading the emeny, barely staying alive, desperately trying to escape, to get back to this place, that she, above all else, was what he strived to return to. He didn't know when this had become his truth, but this new infomation seemed to make sense and fit into him. Her companionship, her trust, friendship, support and just her presence were all something he craved and found he was pained when these things were denied. He realised now that this feeling, whatever it was, had slowly been brewing deep within him, growing a little each day, not quite letting his mind recognise it, never giving too much away so that he'd have to acknowledge it. He was sure though, his revelation had triggered a greater need, a need maybe for something more than this. However, finding himself in unexplored territory, he was unwilling to risk throwing away that which was most precious to him. At least for the time being

"Hey." It was hardly the most articulate thing that came to mind, but it served it's purpose.

"Hey." Her equally eloquent reply made him smile.

They shared a warm glance before returning to thier watch over the city, the guardians of their Keep. A small eternity passed around them until slowly she turned to him, gentley slipping her arms about his waist, leaning her head on his shoulder and whispered to him. "Welcome home."

"Thank you," A little surprised at how comfortable she felt doing this, he returned her gesture, softly placing an arm around her shoulders, his fingers lingered in her hair, hugging her closer to him. "I missed you too." he uttered softly in her ear.

She gave a small embarrassed laugh. "At least this time I didn't jump you in the middle of gate room."

"Yeah. I have a sneeky suspicion a few bets were paid off that day." The comment was said in jest, but each felt a tinge of unease. They'd never spoken of it before, instead silently agreeing to file it under 'heat of the moment' and leave it at that.

Reminded of her previous indiscretion, Elizabeth disentangled herself and stood hip to hip with him so they were both looking out over the city once again, though not quite willing to sever all contact just yet, she left one arm loosely around his waist. Telling herself _one arm doesn't count as a hug. _Apparently John thought the same, withdrawing his hand from her mass of curls, but the comforting weight of his arm remained there on her shoulder.

There was an amicable silence between them during a short reprieve until Elizabeth spoke again. "While you were gone, I'd been thinking, back to that day when Caldwell beemed you into the gate room." she paused here. Sensing that there was more to come John remained quiet, eager to hear what she was getting at, more than intrigued that they were still on the same subject. Inhaling deeply she pushed forward, "I was thinking, maybe the deal we made then has since become obsolete."

This made his ears prick up. He remembered the conversation they'd had just after they had embraced, checking the other was in fact alive and not some crazed delusion. They'd agreed that they would put an end to making the other think they were dead. Considering the circumstances at the time, the words were spoken to relieve some of the tension, but they couldn't have been more serious. Both of them had recieved quite the shock and subsequently made an unconscious effect to literally live up to their side of the bargin from then on.That she would now revoke their agreement puzzled John.

"So, what exactly do you propose?" He was very curious.

"A... reform." The way her lips curled up at one side belied her playfull intent, though the slight flirtation in her tone hid a deeper meaning for her. Both of them had been gulity of tacks like this, John knew. He found lacing his words with a pinch of sarcasm could elivate even the most trying times.

"A reform huh? Okay, state your terms." John played along.

With mocked aplomb she began, "Your abilty to attract danger and land yourself in the most impossible situations, stuck off-world somewhere, really does proceed you and although you gave me fair warning right from the get go, I never imagined it would be anything like this." The smile stayed with her as she said that, but faded with what came next. "I've come to accept now, that no matter _what_ I threaten you with, you're going to get yourself in trouble, but you have to promise me, when you do find yourself in those predicaments, that you never give up trying to get back here." Pausing to swallow she finished, "I need to know you'll never give up trying. "

_Wow_ was all John could think. That certainly wasn't what he had expected to hear when he had come to find her tonight. Her words were simple but the underlying hints and indications she had infused into them had him completed enthralled. Her status as a negotiator on an international level was totally justified. Any doubts he may have had about his feelings not being mutual were shattered and thrown to to wind, even if he couldn't define exactly what those feelings were, she definitely shared _something_ with him. He was begining to think that maybe exploring these feelings wouldn't be such the big risk he first thought it would be. It dawned on him slowly, the realisation, that when he and his team did end up in the emeny lock up for a few days with no way to contact Atlantis, their escape gave them something to focus on, while all Elizabeth could do was wait it out. Seeing her point of veiw made him half glade he was the one on the bad side of a cell door. The not knowing and all the uncertainties would drive him up the wall. Giving himself a mental shake, he looked to piecing together a reply.

"Elizabeth, I can honestly say that, in all my life, there is nowhere in this world or any other one for that matter, that I would rather be." John cringed internally at how such a slushy cliche had eeked out of his mouth. When had this special, personal moment for the two of them turned into one of those cheesey romantic movie scenes he would always roll his eyes at? As he studied her eyes he could tell that despite his words, she understood the sentiment and that was more important.

Holding their gaze he slapped one of his cocky fly-boy grins on his face to make sure she didn't think he was going soft in his old age. It worked. Blinking away the moment she laughed a gentle admonishment at him.

"I'm glad you feel that way. It hasn't been the same, not coming out here, to steal a few seconds to myself. The other balconies were nice - there were even some with a better view, but when you grow acustomed to something... I guess it just wasn't the same."

_What was this now? _John asked himself. "You mean you've been avoiding this balcony since I was gone?"

Elizabeth's cheecks were tinted a pale crimson when she realised what she'd just given away. She swallowed the awkwardness and decided to take a gamble and just come clean, the truth seemed to be working well tonight. "Yes." She gave him an appoligetic shrug with one shoulder, the one that still had his arm balanced on it.

"Why?" He asked softly.

"I'm not sure I should tell you. You're going to think I'm mad."_ And not the least bit ridiculous _she added to herself.

"Try me."

She was positive she'd never live this down, not to mention it had the potential to make things extremely uncomfortable between them if what she'd thought she'd seen in his eyes earlier was untrue. Taking a minute to weigh her options before she got in too deep, she took another deep breath then rolled the dice.

"It was a song from the 1940s, _Don't sit under the Apple Tree."_ She paused to make sure he was following, seeing he did, she went on, "My grandmother would often play it. She said my grandfather had bought her a copy of it when it first came out. Its not one of _my_ personal favourites but she liked it. She told me it reminded her of when my grandfather had gone to fight in the second world war. Thankfully he wasn't away from home long, but all the time he was gone she never once went to visit the spot in their local park, where they'd usually go walking every weekend. She used to tell me that it just wouldn't feel the same going there without him and that it wasn't so much the park that felt different, but the lack of his presence that was wrong." By the time she had finished, her face was well and truly flushed.

John had patiently listened to her reveal intimate details of her past, something she wouldn't volunteer so readily to anyone else and felt honoured she would tell him. That and the fact she had just used the lyrics of a love song as an analogy to thier situation, plastered the biggest grin ever on his face.

On seeing him react the way he did, she beemed right back at him, one of her smiles John thought could power up the city if only Rodney could find a way to harness it.

"And you think this applies to us?" John couldn't help but tease her a little knowing that for the moment he was so going to get away with it."Coz I _know_ what happened to that soldier when he came home!"

"Don't get your hopes up mister!" She gave him a poke in the arm, feigning disapproval on her face, the sparkle in her green eyes a dead give away. "I think it applies to this balcony .I think of it as our Apple Tree. The lack of your presence seems wrong out here." Elizabeth was blushing yet again at her admission, she just could not control it tonight. John's suggestiveness didn't help the matter much either.

The pair of them took a minute or two, looking back out over the ocean, taking the time to digest all that had been uncovered in the short while they'd been out here. What were they going to do now with this sudden development? As more time passed, trepidation began to creep in and without realising it they had lost any bodily contact they had maintained until now. The warm summer breeze Elizabeth had earlier taken delight in made her shiver and brought her hands up to rub her arms. In so doing she caught on to the fact that John was now standing a foot away from her, hands shoved deep in his pockets and a scowl had taken root where his lazy trademark smirk usually played. The happy carefree mood gone.

Her movement also alerted him to the change in their stance and he looked down at the space on the floor dividing them, then up into her eyes. "When did that happen?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. It just did. I'm sorry John, maybe it wasn't such a good idea telling you that."

"What was said hasn't changed anything Elizabeth."

"Look what happened after just a couple of minutes." She had folded her arms over her chest forming a protective barrier around her.

"I don't regret a word of it. Are you telling me what you said wasn't true?"

"What does it matter if what I feel is going to drive a wedge between us?"

"So you do feel _something_ for me?" He emplored.

Elizabeth directed a menacing frown out at the ocean releasing an angry breath out through her nose, she was annoyed at herself. While searching for reasons as to why this had turned sour all of a sudden, she'd left herself exposed to his questioning. Turning to face his scrunitny again she answered simply, "Yes, John." Anything else would be a lie.

Pleased and relieved to hear this he gave her a reasuring smile and told her, "I feel _something_ too."

It was as though not defining exactly what that something was made it safe and approachable, making her relax enough to return his smile.

"Why was that so difficult?" She asked him.

Giving the question some serious thought, he finally answered, "Because of who we are."

She thought she knew where his line of thinking was taking him and nodded her understanding, "Because how we feel wouldn't just effect us, but could compromise the decisions we make as leaders of this expidition." Her voice had become so sad, "So what do we do?"

The passing silence begged an answer.

"I know you will do whatever you think is necessary, make the decisions only a leader can make, in the best interests of this city. And I respect you for that, more than I let on. Nobody can fault you on that score. But you can't be expected to sequester yourself up in the control tower, forced to watch the world around you, while limited to how far you can become involved in its inner workings." John realised he was hardly the right person to be presenting the pros and cons of the position they found themselves in, concidering his bias at being the sole beneficiary if things worked out for the best.

Her defences were begining to crumble, her arms dropping back to her sides. When he wanted to, John definitly had a way with words. What he said rang true, she would often watch the people from her office, the clear glass seeming more like bars at times. "So you believe everyone would be better off if..." She left it hanging but indicated the space between them.

"A happy leader makes for a happy city!" He almost churped brightly, but added, "I'm not saying we doing anything too drastic, lets just make a point to let whats there come naturally. Does that sound agreeable to you?"

Her fingers, desperate for a distraction, had caught hold of the zipper of her jacket, slowly sliding it up and down, "I guess I can be persuaded to try." She answered shyly, eyes glancing up at him from beneath her lashes.

John stole the zipper from her hand, bringing her full attention back to him. "I'll make you another promise - better than the last one. I promise, no matter what comes of this," it was his turn to wave his hand, suggesting the bond they'd struck up, "I will always be there for you."

With a slight tug on the zipper he pulled her towards him. This time when she hugged him she flung her arms around his neck, holding on tight and burried her face into his chest. He looped his arms about her, one finding its place once again around her shoulders, the other resting a hand at the small of her back, both crushing her to him. Wrapped up in each other they knew everything was far from resolved, there was still plenty that would need attention along the way, but they didn't doubt what they felt now gaining a foothold within them. If nothing else, they had found a place to start from and somewhere they could always fall back on.

That's all folks! Would like to hear what you all thought so feel free to review - any constructive criticism is also welcome. Thank you.


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